Authorpreneur Dashboard – Sparkle Abbey
The Girl with the Dachshund Tattoo
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
She has to stay low. Ears to the ground. Danger’s nipping at her heels. Mel’s tracking a killer in the world of racing dachshunds. Wiener takes all at the Laguna Beach Dachshund Dash. Melinda Langston, owner of Bow Wow Boutique, and her quirky assistant, Betty Foxx, are on hand to root for their favorite racers. But before the starting gun goes off, hated dachshund owner, Richard Eriksen, is found dead, and gun-toting Betty is suspect number one. Determined to clear Betty’s name, Mel quickly picks up the scent of the cutthroat world of Doxie racing. Cheating. Doping. Gambling. Controversy lies at every turn. It seems everyone has a secret—including Betty. The killer is hot on Mel’s heels. Can Mel expose the truth before the killer catches her?
Book Bubbles from The Girl with the Dachshund Tattoo
Desperate Housedogs
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
When Caro Lamont, former psychologist turned pet therapist makes a house call to help Kevin Blackstone with his two misbehaving German Shepherd dogs, she expects frantic dogs, she expects a frantic dog owner, she even expects frantic neighbors. What she doesn’t expect is that two hours later the police will find Kevin dead, his dogs impounded; and that as the last person to see Kevin alive (well, except for the killer) she is suddenly a person of interest, at least according to Homicide Detective Judd Malone.
Book Bubbles from Desperate Housedogs
Get Fluffy
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Disgraced Texas beauty queen, Melinda (Mel) Langston, owns Laguna Beach’s Bow Wow Boutique. Mona Michaels, Mel’s most despised client, owns a star dog, Fluffy, who's worth millions. When Mona is found whacked in the head with Fluffy’s Daytime Emmy, everyone wants Fluffy. And someone won't stop at murder to get the pooch. Secrets. Blackmail. Mel tackles the case like a dog with a bone. But can she dig up the truth before the killer buries her?
Book Bubbles from Get Fluffy
What challenges did you endure while penning Get F
Great question. Our series is different in that you have two protagonists, and they aren't speaking to each other. The readers "meet" Caro first and get "her side" of why the cousins aren't talking. I had to find a way to make Mel likable and at the same time not belittle Caro in the reader's eyes. Presenting "Mel's side" of the story was tricky at times because the readers have already bonded with Caro. We knew we'd accomplished our goal when one reader said she loved Caro and hated Mel in book one, but by the end of book two she loved both cousins equally. In the end, she wasn't sure which cousin was right, but she wanted to read more. I think I let out a huge sigh of relief after I read that.
Kitty Kitty Bang Bang
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Caro Lamont—pet therapist—and her cousin Melinda Langston—owner of The Bow Wow Boutique—pamper the kitties and pooches of Laguna Beach’s elites. Unfortunately, their human clients keep turning up dead.
Book Bubbles from Kitty Kitty Bang Bang
What did you learn about yourself while inking Kit
I learned how much I love the immersion in a story. I already knew that I love the revision process more than the first draft. The first draft is painful. The tinkering with a scene or a sentence to get it just right is the best part of writing. What was new about this third book was getting that opportunity to come back to a place and people I loved and immerse myself in that world.
Yip/Tuck
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
One of Laguna Beach’s best-known plastic surgeons may need a new leash on life. Unless he’s just taking a very long nap on the bench outside Melinda Langston’s Bow Wow Boutique . . .
Book Bubbles from Yip/Tuck
Project Dogway (Short Story)
It’s high fashion hijinks in Laguna Beach with designer togs, spa pampering, and jewels galore…and that’s just the dogs. With canines on the catwalk at this fundraising haute dog fashion show, pet therapist, Caro, and cousin Mel, owner of the local Bow Wow Boutique, are mingling with the crowd, but still not speaking to each other. But when one of Caro’s clients, Phil Tawny, the protective owner of Shadow, an award-winning beagle, drops dead at the event, the feuding cousins find themselves embroiled in much more than a fashion “faux paw.” There’s a rabid Shadow fan, a fame-hungry ex-wife, and a detective who doesn’t want them sniffing around his investigation. But Caro and Mel refuse to sit/stay, and soon find themselves on the tail of a killer.
Fifty Shades of Greyhound
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
It was a killer party. Caro Lamont, Laguna Beach’s favorite pet therapist, is thrilled to support the elite fundraising gala for Greys Matter, a SoCal greyhound rescue group. All the guests in the couture-attired crowd are clad in varying shades of grey, the champagne and donations are flowing, and there are fifty gorgeous greyhounds in attendance. But before the evening ends, a stranger in their midst is dead. Caro sets out to help the rescue group find the identity of the mystery guest but soon finds herself in the doghouse with homicide detective, Judd Malone—oh, and federal agent, John Milner. When there’s a second death, Caro is convinced she’s on the track of someone who wants a secret to stay buried, but it’s a race to see whether Caro can uncover the truth before the killer decides she’s next.
Book Bubbles from Fifty Shades of Greyhound
What's Caro's Goal?
Her goal is always to see justice done. Caro is the ultimate champion of the underdog which often times gets her in trouble. She is fierce in her love and protection for animals and also for her friends. In Fifty Shades of Greyhound Caro finds herself involved in the investigation of a death that happened at a greyhound rescue fundraiser. She’s in a unique position of being able to talk with many of the people who were in attendance because the CEO of the rescue hires her to check on the dogs who were there. But in this case before justice is done, Caro find herself in the doghouse with homicide detective, Judd Malone, who thinks Caro should leave the investigating to him. As in previous books, we had some fun with the colorful cast of characters who populate our fictional version of Laguna Beach, with Caro’s cousin, Mel, and of course, with Caro’s clients and their pet problems.
